A tie and the Kolkata telephone exchange

So I've just been thinking how to deal with occasions where I need to be smart. I don't want to look like a slob and give a bad if accurate impression of British standards in dress, but I also need to avoid the slippery slope that ends up with me squeezing smart black shoes and cummerbund into my ruck (though the irony is that 'cummerbund' has an Indian etymology, hmmm). Strictly, a tie comes as part of an entirely separate outfit, that I simply wasn't planning. I tend to have just the two settings: smart or slob.

No, it's serious.

So I've established a half-way that accommodates the incongruity of mixing a tie with trainers via a subtle transition from head to toe. A fashion crime, but needs must. It's also fair to say I'm not a complete stranger to dressing like an engineer.

This is really quite a simple matter in comparison with issues others in the Team are having. Some are dealing with health and family matters which have been complicating their plans. To be fair this correspondence was also mixed with mention of things like hair straighteners. I'm praying for the health and family matters, but I guess a little home detail can be a big help to get us settled.

Other issues include the floods here which have the potential to delay my trip to London.

Then there's the fire in the Kolkata telephone exchange. Apparently last week all the Kolkata land lines and Internet connections were wiped out as a result of a faulty connection somewhere causing a fire. I'm hoping it'll be all up and running by next week so that this blog doesn't die before it's born.

Many have assured me of their prayers for the coming month, which is a significant encouragement. Even got a couple of hugs at church.

General points for prayer would be:

• Health and Safety - one can't Carpe Diem whilst remaining no more than 30 seconds from the nearest facilities
• The Team - that we would get on: cope with one another, look out for each other, and work well together; and please do remember Claire and Becky the team leaders
• The Opportunity - that we would both contribute and learn
• And do pray for Emmanuel Ministries Calcutta in their ongoing work for God's honour

Funny how even the big things of life get complicated with a mix of the small. But then I guess culture is made up of so many minor details that the adventure of crossing cultures necessarily includes all these apparently trivial things.

I'm almost off. Ruck's nearly packed. It's becoming real and I'm getting excited and maybe nervous? or maybe just plain curious as to what's going to happen over the next four weeks. My niece is in the Philippines at the moment doing a similar thing as it happens. She's having a great time with lots of evidence of God's grace. this is good news and an encouragement for my trip.

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm 121)

I hope my next entry will be from Kolkata.